These Gluten Free Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies are the perfect way to upgrade a classic this holiday season. Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, these cookies have a hint of tang with the cranberries to balance out the sweetness!
As someone with a chronic illness who loves holiday treats, I don’t want to make myself sick from all the sugar, but I also don’t want to have to miss out! This is why I bake. Learning how to make healthier, allergy friendly desserts has helped support my healing journey AND mental health by not feeling restricted. My goal is to help you feel the same and show you how you can still eat delicious food while supporting your health,
These gluten free holiday cookies are a prime example of that! These cookies are gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free, all while still being delicious. This recipe calls for half the sugar of a traditional recipe, but you’ll never know the difference because they are still sweet and flavorful. So, let me teach you about how I adjusted the ingredients to be healthier, allergy friendly, and still delicious.
Gluten Free Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients:
- Flours: This recipe calls for a combination of 1:1 gluten free flour, tigernut or almond flour, and tapioca starch. I find that using a combination of gluten free flours in gluten free baked goods tastes best and provides the best texture. You don’t end up with something too gummy or dry. Tigernut flour and almond flour are interchangeable, tigernut flour is just nut free if you have an allergy. Adding a little bit of tapioca starch helps with the soft texture we want in baked goods.
- Fat: You can use butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil in this recipe. I love using the Miyoko’s vegan butter, but it does contain cashews. If you are allergic, just use coconut oil! I’ve tested both.
- Sugar: This recipe uses coconut sugar, an unrefined sugar that has a lower glycemic index compared to white sugar. We also use half the amount of sugar in this recipe than a traditional chocolate chip cookie recipe. There’s just no need for the extra sugar. I’ve used just enough in this recipe to provide the right flavor and texture without the sugar overload. I think it tastes better this way anyway, as most cookies are so sickeningly sweet these days!
- Add-ins: To keep this recipe refined sugar free, use the appropriate chocolate and cranberries. There are plenty of chocolate options out there this days that don’t contain any refined sugars! Finding refined sugar free cranberries can be hard, you may want to opt for unsweetened cranberries. You can also feel free to add in some chopped walnuts or pecans to add even more depth of flavor to this gluten free cranberry chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Substitutions and Variations
Tigernut flour: you can always use almond flour instead, but you cannot sub more gluten free flour. It will change the flavor of these cookies and possibly the texture too.
Tapioca starch: you can try using arrowroot or corn starch instead.
Coconut sugar: I have not tested this recipe using any other sugar, but a 50/50 mix of white sugar and brown sugar should work!
Add-ins: chocolate and cranberry is a delicious combo during the winter holiday season, but you could certainly try another dried fruit or even add chopped walnuts or pecans to this recipe.
How to store these gluten free cookies
Keep these chocolate chip cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the baked cookies for up to 3 months.
More gluten free holiday cookie recipes
Paleo Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
Healthy Gluten Free Sugar Cookies
Gluten Free Cinnamon Roll Cookies
Gluten Free Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp 1:1 gluten free flour
- 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp tigernut flour or almond flour
- 1 Tbsp tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips or 1/4 cup each of chocolate chips and chopped chocolate bar (this gets the pooled chocolate)
- 1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries
- extra flaky salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flours, starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt) and set aside.
- Whisk the butter/oil and sugar together.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and use a spatula to mix until just combined.
- Fold in the chocolate and cranberries.
- If you didn't let your butter/oil cool enough and the dough is too runny, just pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes before scooping.
- Scoop tablespoon size servings of dough onto the baking sheets, 2 inches apart (these cookies spread, so leave enough space!).
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until edges are just golden. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt upon removal. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 5-10 then transfer to a wire rack.
